Lately I have been pondering the thought about the future of books and media. Are we approaching a day where everything will be digital? Our music has become mp3's, our television and movies are downloadable. Furthermore, our books are now available in a concise, cheap, digital format. But are eBooks the way of the future? Will they ultimately stop producing paperback bound books?
Last March I gave in to temptation and ordered a Kindle from Amazon. For those of you who are still unaware of what this amazing device is, I suggest checking it out (www.amazon.com/kindle). For those of you who are aware of what a Kindle is, you will know that it is a device you can download eBooks onto and read. This device has made paperback bound books a thing of the past for me.
Kindle has had a few weaknesses, but all-in-all, for me, it has far more strengths. The price is reasonable, and ultimately pays for itself after you think of book prices. Also, the price of the books is excellent too. For a brand new, New York Times Bestseller, the price is typically $9.99. For years I had been paying far more than that for brand new books.
The Kindle is convenient for readers, and can accommodate to almost any reader's needs. The screen is revolutionized with "ink technology." This makes the print seem more like ink on a page, rather than a computer screen, that resets everytime you turn the page. If you have a hard time reading small print, then you can increase the size of the font to make your reading experience comfortable for you. It is a lightweight device that can hold approximately 1500 titles. I like to tell people that I can carry an entire library of books in about the size of one paperback book.
Since I have had my Kindle for 6 months, I could go on and on about all the great things about it. I was a non-believer at one point in my life, but the new technology sucked me in, and got me to give it a chance. There are still a few people who claim to love the smell of musty paper in old books, enjoy the feel of a book in their hand, cornering the pages to keep their spot. There is nothing stating that Kindle users can't still own books.
I highly recommend that book lovers test out an eBook reader for themselves and see what they think. With every other form of media going digital, it's only a matter of time before books are mostly in digital form as well.
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"Kindle has has a few weaknesses, but all-in-all, for me, it has far more strengths." I believe you mean has had in that sentence Joe. Not judging, I just cannot help myself. Hello, my name is Nicole and welcome to editing anonymous. Always there with a red pen!
ReplyDeleteI am one of those few people who has taken the mantle of book purist. I cannot deny the smell of old paper and ink makes me remember my childhood in the public library.
I am embracing the eBook phenomenon because electronic publishing is up and coming. But we must all pray to the publishing gods that paperback bound books do not vanish completely. Can you imagine a world where paperback bound books are merely exhibits in a museum?
Kindle, and other electronic book modes, are certainly not going away.
ReplyDeleteHowever, like Nikki, I also like a good ol' book. And I can get them a lot cheaper than $10 from the library! That's hard to beat. I can also get them used for 50 cents.
I know, I know! For me, this is a great way to get my books and save myself some money. I was buying brand new books in hard cover edition through book clubs. That means over-priced, and shipping and handling charges on top of that! This way I can still own my own copy of my favorite authors, without the wait for them to ship them to me. I can get them in 60 seconds to my Kindle. Also, if I pre-order them (which I have one coming up on Wednesday), Amazon will send it to me while I sleep, so I wake up and find it.
ReplyDeleteAs for Nicole, where was that little error you found? I certainly don't see it. I guess you're not that good with the red pen afterall. You better take a closer look. ;)
Funny Joe. It is a little thing called edit post, you are welcome by the way. =]
ReplyDeleteThat sounds pretty awesome Joe. How lucky have you been with finding all the books you need though?
ReplyDelete